The source for Rice sports news

2024-2025 Rice Women’s Basketball Season Preview

By

Expectations are high for the 2024-2025 Rice women’s basketball season following an NCAA Tournament appearance under now fourth-year head coach Lindsay Edmonds.

Rice women’s basketball has hit its stride under Lindsay Edmonds, raising the bar in each successive season with her at the helm of the program, culminating in an NCAA Tournament appearance last season. That taste has everyone on the roster — which returns the vast majority of its key players, sans one — eager for an encore this coming season.

“This is the most veteran, the most mature team that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Edmonds said. With that experience comes a different level of urgency and an even greater sense of purpose. “We’re going faster and the expectations are just higher,” Edmonds declared.

Subscriber content.<br /> Please login to see the full post or visit our Patreon page.

For those checking in for the first time, or those returning, a quick programming note. Special features like this are reserved for our subscribers. Have questions? You can get those answered in our monthly Q&As and get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and features like this one when you subscribe on Patreon today.

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football 2024: Tulane presser quotes and depth chart

By

Next up for Rice football: Tulane. Here’s what Mike Bloomgren had to say about the matchup and a few depth chart notes.

Head coach Mike Bloomgren and a set of players met with the media for their customary weekly availability. They recapped the UTSA game and the bye week then looked ahead at their upcoming matchup with Tulane.

More: Game Preview: Rice Football vs Tulane

We touch on those items, then dig into the Rice football depth chart and what the team looks like heading into the weekend. First, the quotes:

Press Conference Quotes

“I thought we showed up and played incredibly hard for the whole game. I still believe we have a lot of work to do to be the program we want to be, but we’re on the right track, and that’s a good thing” – Mike Bloomgren on the team’s performance agianst UTSA

“You thought with Michael Pratt going away, there would be a real drop off at the quarterback position and this redshirt quarterback is making the game look really easy… Darian Mensah is playing incredible football right now and he looks like anything but a freshman.” – Mike Bloomgren on Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah

“Enoch [Gota]’s a big part of our team, we’re just at a point now where we’ve got to go with who is hotter in practice because they’ve both had oportunities where they’ve come through big time for us in games and they’ve both had times where they didn’t get the job done in games. So as we continue to make it a meritocracy, we’re going to give Tim [Horn] another chance.” – Mike Bloomgren’s on the change at kicker

“I think it’s something that we can carry over from this past week, being able to stop the run early, not let them get going, not let them find the key plays that worked to attack us with.” – Linebacker Myron on the team’s approach against Tulane

“Tulane’s an amazing team. I think you look forward to those games… You see them and you’re like, ‘I can’t wait to play that game’. Playing these teams in a good environment like in their stadium is always something you look forward to” – Running back Dean Connors on playing Tulane

Depth Chart

Rice football

Depth Chart Notes

The most notable change on the offensive depth chart this week was the reinsertion of John Long into the starting offensive line group. That’s something we’ll be monitoring during the week of practice. To see who the favorite to suit up for the Owls at that spot against Tulane, make sure you’re subscribed on Patreon and looking for practice notes later in the week.

On defense, Daveon Hook slides over from backing up Tyson Flowers at the free safety position to manning the viper spot. In a defense that relies on the flexibility of its players so much, particularly in the secondary, this reflects the desire to get the Owls’ best players on the field at all times. Practically, that won’t be too much different than how Rice football attacked this position in their game against UTSA. Additionally, DJ Arkansas returns to his backup spot in the linebacker room where he previously was left off the depth chart with an injury.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football 2024: NFL Owls Week 6 Roundup

By

Rice Football is well represented on 2024 NFL rosters. Here’s the latest from the NFL Owls in action in Week 6.

There are former Rice football players scattered across the NFL. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player.

Team NFL Owl(s) This Week Result Next Week
Detroit Lions Jack Fox (P) at Cowboys W, 47-9 at Vikings
Indianapolis Colts Kylen Granson (TE) at Titans W, 20-17 vs Dolphins
Pittsburgh Steelers Chris Boswell (PK)
Calvin Anderson (OL)		 at Raiders W, 32-17 vs Jets (SNF)
New England Patriots Nick Leverett (OL) vs Texans L, 41-21 at Jaguars
Seattle Seahawks Myles Adams (DL) vs 49ers L, 36-24 at Falcons
Washington Commanders Luke McCaffrey (WR) at Ravens L, 30-23 vs Panthers

Offense

Calvin Anderson – OL, Steelers

Anderson saw his first offensive snaps with the Steelers this week after joining the team a few weeks ago. He got into the game for nine plays with the offense.

Luke McCaffrey – WR, Commanders

McCaffrey caught the only ball thrown his way on Sunday, coming yards shy of his first NFL touchdown. He’s caught all 11 passes thrown his way in his NFL career so far.

Nick Leverett – OL, Patriots

Leverett was released by the Patriots on Monday following their game against the Texans.

Kylen Granson – TE, Colts

Granson wasn’t targeted once in the passing game against the Titans but did not record a reception.

Defense

Myles Adams – DL, Seahawks

Adams was inactive for the Seahawks Thursday Night Football game against the  49ers. He’s been active for three of the Seahawks’ six games so far this season.

Special Teams

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox did not punt once last week or this week. Last week the Lions were on bye. This week they scored on nearly every offensive possession, turning the ball over on downs once and twice possessing the ball til the end of the half. That meant Fox was able to watch from the sideline.

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

Boswell was called upon six times on Sunday, knocking through a pair of extra points and all four of his field goal tries. He’s made 16-of-17 field goals this season.

More Owls in the NFL

From practice squads to current free agents, there are other Owls on the cusp of returning to active rosters. Find more detail on current contractual agreements and former Rice football players waiting for their next opportunity here.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football 2024 Game Preview: Tulane

By

Rice football hits the road this week to take on Tulane. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

While Tulane was on bye last weekend Rice football picked up its first conference win, rallying in the fourth quarter to stun UTSA at the final whistle. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup between Rice and Tulane.

Kickoff time | 2:30 PM CT 
Venue | Yulman Stadium – New Orleans, LA
TV | ESPN+ (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs Tulane on this week’s episode of the Blue and Gray Preview Show, kicking off live on Wednesday on the Rice Athletics YouTube channel. Look for a recap of the game on the site afterward as well as on The Roost Podcast, which should be released early next week.

Sizing up the contenders

Tulane (2-0) is one of five teams still unbeaten in AAC play with eyes on a conference championship game appearance, but they’re a few wins behind Army (5-0) and Navy (3-0). Losing ground to those red-hot programs now wouldn’t eliminate those title game dreams, but it would make them harder to grasp. Keeping pace is imperative for the Green Wave, especially as a home favorite.

On the other sideline, Rice football (1-2) is trying to will themselves back from the brink. Upsetting UTSA was a good start and while nobody would fault the Owls for losing this one, another upset this week would officially put this team back on the map. Head coach Mike Bloomgren has knocked off conference heavyweights before. He needs to find a way to do it again.

Series History

All Time | Rice leads, 20-16-1
Last Five | Rice leads, 3-2
Last Meeting | Home 2023, Tulane won 30-28

Get the Inside Scoop

Get access to practice reports, analysis and special features during the week when you subscribe to our Starting Lineup Tier on Patreon today. If you want updates on how Rice football plans to attack this week’s opponent, position battles, standouts, injuries and more, this is your go-to source. Don’t miss out! Join now!

Become a Patron!

Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | Warner – 134/217 (61.8 percent), 1302 yards, 9 TD, 6 INT
Rushing | Connors – 63 carries, 396 yards (6.3 yards per carry), 6 TD / Atkins – 24 carries, 158 yards (6.6 yards per carry), 2 TD
Receiving | Sykes – 31 receptions, 378 yards (12.2 yds/rec), 3 TD / Campbell – 15 receptions, 150 yards (10.0 yds/rec), 1 TD / Connors – 34 receptions, 248 yards (7.3 yds/rec), 1 TD
Tackles | Fresch/Morris – 31, Taylor – 28, Looes – 27
Pass Breakups | Fresch – 5, Ahoia – 3, Taylor -2 
Interceptions | Flowers/Williams/Mutombo – 1

Tulane Stat Notables

Passing | Mensah – 84/127 (66.1 percent), 1256 yards, 10 TD, 2 INT
Rushing | Hughes – 109 carries, 604 yards (5.5 yards per carry), 7 TD / Barnes – 38 carries, 181 yards (4.8 yards per carry)
Receiving | Williams – 23 receptions, 414 yards (18.0 yds/rec), 2 TD / Fleming – 17 receptions, 304 yards (17.9 yds/rec), 1 TD / Brown – 14 receptions, 207 yards (14.8 yds/rec), 3TD
Tackles | Grubbs – 29, Howard – 25, Despanie – 24
Pass Breakups | Robinson/White/Johnson – 2
Interceptions | Seven tied with one each

Tulane X-Factor | Win third down

For the most part, Rice Football has not been a team that’s been able to sustain long scoring drives this season. None of the Owls’ drives against UTSA were more than eight plays, including their scoring drives late in the game. That’s because the Owls have struggled mightily on third down and have had to rely on the big play, which has been fleeting.

Tulane has been one of the best teams in the league on third down, keeping opponents to a 34.7 percent conversion rate. Only one team has been better than 47 percent in a game against them, Oklahoma. Tulane lost that game. If Tulane can win on their down, they’ll force the Rice offense into precarious situations and have a stranglehold in this matchup.

Rice X-Factor | Run the dang ball

Rice football only had one respectable rushing performance against an FBS opponent this season, tallying 209 yards on the ground at a 6.7 yards per carry clip. Rice should have won that game, but a missed field goal at the buzzer and some late defensive lapses wasted that banner day for the ground game. 

Other than that, it’s been tough sledding for Rice on the ground. That’s meant more pressure on quarterback EJ Warner and less touches for star running back Dean Connors, who scored twice against UTSA. Getting the ball in Connors’ hands absolutely must be a priority for the Owls this week. If Rice can get things going on the ground against a Tulane defense that ranks in the middle of the pack in the AAC in yads per carry allowed they’ll have a shot to keep pace with an explosive Tualen offense.

Injury Report (Subscribers only)

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?
Become a Patron!

One Final Thing

Every win Rice football can scrape out over the next several weeks gets the Owls that much closer to salvaging what was shaping up to be a lost season. Beating a downtrodden UTSA program last week was emotionally significant, but the caliber of team Rice topped in that game pales in comparison to the one they’ll be playing in New Orleans this coming weekend.

Tulane is a bonafide contender for the conference championship. Rice is 2-4. On paper, things look daunting, but in this case, it’s probably good that none of the Owls’ games so far this season seem to have gone anything like they should have gone on paper.

Even though there wouldn’t be any shame in losing to one of the best teams in the conference on the road, Rice is running out of margin to account for such eventualities. The win against UTSA bought this team one more week to hope. Knocking off the Green Wave would give the Owls some swagger. 

This team has been maddeningly inconsistent but marquee upsets have been part of their calling card under this coaching staff. Rice upset Houston last year and have headliner wins over C-USA leading UAB (twice) and Top 15, undefeated Marshall, too. 

The odds are long, but there’s a chance. And goodness gracious, that’s why we watch this game.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

The Roost Podcast | Ep 188 – Rice Football tops UTSA plus Soccer, Volleyball w/ Jason Metko

By

Rice football sideline reporter Jason Metko joins the show this week to recap the UTSA win and share the latest from soccer and volleyball.

It was a storybook weekend at South Main. Rice football knocked off UTSA for the first time in a decade and soccer and volleyball continued their impressive seasons. Owls’ sideline reporter and broadcaster for soccer and volleyball joined the show this week to share his perspectives from the field, court and everywhere else.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 188.

Episode Notes

DCTF

The Roost Podcast is now part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You’ll still get the same content with the same hosts, but now under the DCTF banner.

Homefield

We’re thrilled to partner with Homefield Apparel, the premier proprietor of college football clothing. First-time buyers can use the code ROOST for 15% off their order. The Owls hoodie is a personal favorite as is the Luv-Ya-Owls shirt. Make sure you check out the brand-new sailor hat (pictured below) as you shop the Rice collection or pick up something else (or both)!

You can also grab the Luv-Ya-Owls shirt if you haven’t picked one up yet!

Homefield

Patreon

Get exclusive insight on Patreon. Be the first to get the inside scoop on what’s going on with Rice football and stick around for even further analysis. That includes practice updates, analysis and more. Your support matters and makes The Roost better.

Become a Patron!

Recapping Rice Football vs UTSA, Soccer and Volleyball seasons

  • EJ Warner and Matt Sykes come through in the clutch
  • Offense finds some momentum
  • Defensive makes just enough plays
  • Special teams uncertainty
  • Rice Soccer keeps winning
  • Rice Volleyball is on a roll

Where can you find us?

The Roost Podcast is part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You can find this podcast and all of our partner podcasts on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.



Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts